Two apples up in a tree were looking down on the world. The first apple said, “Look at all those people fighting, robbing, rioting no one seems willing to get along with his fellow man. Someday we apples will be the only ones left. Then we’ll rule the world.” Replied the second apple, “Which of us the reds or the greens?”

Mark, chapter 4, which we read several weeks ago, contains the parables of Jesus revealing to us the Kingdom of God. These parables remind us to look inside ourselves and examine how we are contributing to the Kingdom. These parables give us hope.

Yet we live in a universe and in a world with huge threats to existence and with sickeningly large social and geopolitical problems. There are meteors hurtling through space, many of which would wipe out life on earth if they struck us. There are dictators harboring or seeking weapons of mass destruction, many of which threaten our survival as a species. In the Middle East but in so many other places, too, there are seemingly inflexible and intense hatreds and prejudices between and among various ethnic groups. There are diseases like Covid 19 and all its variants galloping through continents, killing over 4.5 million people. Hunger and poverty loom up like a whole mountain range of daunting problems whose heights we don’t know how to scale.

Yet in the midst of all these threats from within and from without, in the face of great sin and evil, faced with maladies that are global in scope, we Christian people swing in with no more than that simplest of all messages: Jesus saves. A Jewish carpenter’s son from halfway around the world and from over 2,000 years ago is the one we hold up as some kind of solution. And not a few folks today want to say, “Give me a break!”

To so much of our size-crazed culture, the gospel is too small for the task at hand. In the face of untold millions of starving people, we seem to offer just five loaves and two fish. In the face of trillion-dollar federal and international budgets, we seem to celebrate the widow’s penny going into the collection plate. In the face of hostile terrorists and repressive regimes headed up by the hounds of hell itself, we dispatch lamb-like folks to China and the Sudan and Afghanistan as missionaries witnessing to the Lamb who was slain. None of it seems equal to the task of reaching, much less changing, this sorry and troubled old world. Yet as Mark 4 reminds us, hidden in the midst of all that is a small mystery — hiding the uncontainable glory — of the kingdom of God.

Hope for the best, because God’s grace is sufficient. Amen?

As always, I invite your comments.

Pastor Cory

Reverend Billy Strayhorn tells a story of a mother mouse who decided to teach her children about the world. So, she gathered all of her little mice and set out for a walk. They walked down the hall and turned to the right. Then they went down the hall and took another right. And suddenly they found themselves in front of the family cat dozing in the sunlight. The mother mouse was scared. But she didn’t want to give in to her fright. So, she signaled to the children to be very quiet and to follow as she began to tip toe quietly and slowly past the sleeping cat. Just as she was about to get past the cat, the cat’s eyes popped open and raised its paw.

The little mice were petrified. What would their mother do? Well, just as the cat’s paw started to come down, that mother mouse looked the cat right in the eye and started barking like a dog. And do you know what? The cat was so startled and frightened that it jumped up and ran away! The mother mouse, wiped her brow, shook a little and then turned to her little mice and said, “Children, I hope you learned a valuable lesson. Sometimes it’s good to know a second language!”

It’s the same way with us. It’s good to know a second language. Salt and light are the language of God; the language of Grace; the language of hope and love. And when this language is translated into action it becomes the most beautiful language ever spoken. We’re called to be salt and light and to speak the language of God as we live our faith. We’re called to live the Word.

I am so thankful to our VBS leaders and volunteers who shared the language of “salt and light” to the children in our community. So many worked very hard to put on a program that was not only fun for our young people, but was consistent to the Gospel message we preach.

Children, youth and adults alike learned so much last week! Thanks to them all for a job well done. Thanks for sharing the language of “salt and light.”

The famous anthropologist Margaret Mead was once asked this question: What was the earliest sign of civilization in any given culture? He expected the answer to be a clay pot or perhaps a fish hook or grinding stone. Her answer was “a healed femur.” The femur, of course, is the leg bone above the knee. Mead explained that no healed femurs are found where the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, reigns. A healed femur shows that someone cared. Someone had to do that injured person’s hunting and gathering until the leg healed. The evidence of compassion, she said, is the first sign of civilization. I would contend that it is also the first sign of the work of Christ in the life of a Christian.

On the last Sunday in June, we discussed the healing power of touch, and began sharing “God’s Peace” with one another. Wasn’t that wonderful? I received much positive feedback from so many of you. It seems you missed that as much as I did. We need to be reminded that there are many other ways to offer healing to one another. While we discussed the healing power of touch, it is also true that forgiveness is another powerful healing tool.

Research provides clear evidence that forgiveness is a powerful tool to help us recover from abuse, bereavement, trauma, addiction, abortion, divorce, and other losses. It enables us to tap into powerful spiritual resources that foster our healing.

As a pastor, I find it interesting that the Cancer Treatment Centers of America are now using forgiveness therapy as an integral part of their cancer treatment.

Studies have verified the positive power of forgiveness on our well-being. For instance, people who forgive are more likely to enjoy lower blood pressure, a stronger immune system, and a drop in the stress hormones circulating in their blood. Their back pain, stomach problems, and headaches may disappear. They report reduced anger, anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms; higher self-esteem; and more hopefulness about their future.

In other words, to jettison some of our emotional baggage allows our mind to provide some natural healing of our body. While forgiveness is not a cure for cancer, studies have shown that our body responds very positively and prolongs life and our quality of life.

Forgiveness is a decision we can make! We can choose to forgive—to dismiss, to cut off— the debt created by the one who hurt us. As Christians, we can do this because we say that the blood of Christ was enough payment for that debt and we do not have to extract it from them.

Is there anyone you need to forgive?

As always, I welcome your comments.

Pastor Cory

While crossing the Atlantic on an ocean liner, F.B. Meyer was asked to address the first-class passengers. At the captain’s request, he spoke on “Answered Prayer.” An agnostic who was present at the service was asked by his friends, “What did you think of Dr. Meyer’s sermon?” He answered, “I didn’t believe a word of it.” That afternoon Meyer went to speak to the steerage passengers. Many of the listeners at his morning address went along, including the agnostic, who claimed he just wanted to hear “what the babbler had to say.”

Before going to the service, the agnostic put two oranges in his pocket. On his way, he passed an elderly woman sitting in her deck chair fast asleep. Her hands were open. In the spirit of fun, the agnostic put the two oranges in her outstretched palms. After the meeting, he saw the old lady happily eating one of the pieces of fruit. “You seem to be enjoying that orange,” he remarked with a smile. “Yes, sir,” she replied, “My Father is very good to me.” “Your father? Surely your father can’t be still alive!” “Praise God,” she replied, “He is very much alive.” “What do you mean?” pressed the agnostic. She explained, “I’ll tell you, sir. I have been seasick for days. I was asking God somehow to send me an orange. I suppose I fell asleep while I was praying. When I awoke, I found He had not only sent me one orange but two!” The agnostic was speechless. Later he was converted to Christ. Yes, praying in God’s will brings an answer.

I’ve learned something humbling about prayer during the last several weeks. We often speak about the power of prayer, as many have gone through hard times and stood up in church thanking all for their continued prayers. I would reinforce the notion of prayers power as an  encouragement for all to pray, as scripture tells us, “Without ceasing.”

I have to admit there are times when those words of encouragement just rolled off my lips with very little thought or feeling behind them. Sometimes, I admit to paying “lip-service” to the notion of how powerful prayer is.

Leading up to my surgery, I didn’t really give it much thought. I knew it had to be done, and I didn’t think I was nervous or apprehensive at all. Then, on the Sunday before the surgery, my friend Pastor Doug, and Patti came to my door with communion. Then Patti handed me get-well cards with prayers and well-wishes from so many of you.

I was overwhelmed. I think, for the first time in my life, I truly felt the power of prayer; it’s a good feeling! My friends, never underestimate the power of prayer. It truly helped me through the surgery and especially through my recovery. I am so grateful to you all. Please keep the prayers coming!

Blessing to you all from your recently humbled pastor,

Cory

In the early 20th century, some missionaries in the Philippines set up a croquet game in their front yard. Several of their Agta Negrito neighbors became interested and wanted to join the fun. The missionaries explained the game and started them out, each with a mallet and ball. As the game progressed,  opportunity came for one of the players to take advantage of another by knocking that person’s ball out of the court. A missionary explained the procedure, but his advice only puzzled the Negrito friend. “Why would I want to knock his ball out of the court?” he asked. “So, you will be the one to win!” a missionary said. The short-statured man, clad only in a loincloth, shook his head in bewilderment. Competition is generally ruled out in a hunting and gathering society, where people survive not by competing but by sharing equally in every activity.

The game continued, but no one followed the missionaries’ advice. When a player successfully got through all the wickets, the game was not over for him. He went back and gave aid and advice to his fellows. As the final player moved toward the last wicket, the affair was still very much a team effort. And finally, when the last wicket was played, the “team” shouted happily, “We won! We won!”

That is how the Church, the body of Christ, should be. We’re a team. We all win together.

As a team, we have fought through this pandemic, and continue to celebrate in this community called St Peter United Church of Christ. More people are coming back to worship in person, our Sunday School is back and we are working together on fund raising and other projects.

Soon, we will be bringing in a group of new members, ready to add to our numbers and commit to give and receive care in our community, our team. One person before worship told me he was pleased that we have done well during this trying time. In many ways we have been a model of love, care and support for each other during this pandemic. I cannot be prouder of how we have all pulled together.

Someday, when we all look back at 2020 and beyond, we may see that we survived and thrived, of course with God’s help, but also because we all pulled together as a community, as a team, and as sons and daughters of God, and can proclaim “We Won! We Won!” We saw the Church, the Body of Christ as it should be.

As always, I welcome your response.

Cory

About 1930, the Communist leader Bukharin journeyed from Moscow to Kiev. His mission was to address a huge assembly. His subject, atheism. For a solid hour he aimed his heavy artillery at Christianity, hurling argument and ridicule. At last, he was finished and viewed what seemed to be the smoldering ashes of men’s faith. “Are there any questions?” Bukharin demanded. A solitary man arose and asked permission to speak. He mounted the platform and moved close to the Communist. The audience was breathlessly silent as the man surveyed them first to the right, then to the left. At last, he shouted the ancient Orthodox greeting, “CHRIST IS RISEN!” The vast assembly arose as one man and the response came crashing like the sound of an avalanche, “HE IS RISEN INDEED!”

The last twelve months have felt like we have been hit with a bombardment of uncertainty. The pandemic, political unrest, anger, riots, bombings, and brutal killings could have left us all in the smoldering ashes of our faith. And yet, the St Peter community has not only survived, but has thrived as we have refused to yield.

We dutifully shut down to “flatten the curve,” as we were told, but we didn’t stay down long. We were one of the first churches in our conference to re-open. We opened our doors after much planning and preparation, we followed many safety protocols to provide a safe place to worship.

In the meantime, we kept on reaching out to the community through online worship, food drives, drive-through fish fry’s, all the while slowly working our way forward, trying to discover our “new normal.”

By the way, as I finished writing this, it’s important to note, our Sunday School was in session today, and we had 102 members present in our Palm/Passion Sunday worship! As you witnessed this, I hope you took notice of all those who participated today to make this wonderful service happen.

I am so proud of our council, the Brotherhood, the Woman’s Fellowship, and all the ministry teams who have stepped up to make ALL of these things happen.

I feel like we are the one who has stepped on the stage to shout to this whole town, “CHRIST IS RISEN,” nothing can stop us, “HE IS RISEN INDEED!”

Easter blessing to you all!

Pastor Cory

Years ago, I was visiting a church where a missionary to Africa was the speaker that evening.

He told a story about his first sermon in the mission church to which he was assigned. When time came for the offering, the people danced their offerings forward. They danced and sang praise to God as they brought their offerings to the altar. It was a beautiful moment. What do you think? Could we get any of our ushers to do that?

After the service, he asked one of the people, “Why do you dance and sing when you bring your offering forward on Sunday morning?” Back came the answer: “How could we not dance? We are so grateful to God for what He has done for us in sending Jesus Christ to save us, that we have to dance and sing our thanksgiving and besides it says in the Bible, God loves a cheerful giver.”

Let me ask you something. Do you feel gratitude to God that strongly? Do you have a strong case of the “can’t help its” when it comes to gratitude? When you are Christians, gratitude is the spirit of your lifestyle. When you are a Christian, you can’t help but be grateful!

Let me tell you what I’m grateful for. I’m grateful for a church whose members have hung together during one of the most trying periods in America’s history.

I’m grateful when I hear so many people say, “Let’s move forward and work toward finding out what the new normal looks like for us.”

I’m grateful that our Christian Education Team is beginning to discuss opening up Sunday School again.

I’m grateful for all the faithful people here who didn’t let the pandemic keep them from organizing meaningful ministry events.

I’m grateful to a Women’s Fellowship who is looking to plan a Mother/Daughter banquet.

I’m grateful for the Brotherhood who started frying fish again.

I’m grateful for a group of confirmation students who hung in there with me and learned much in the process.

I’m grateful for a future that promises bright possibilities if we work together, trusting in our God to see us through.

As always, I welcome your thoughts!

Pastor Cory

My Dear Ones,

The year 2020 is behind us, and we survived violence, political upheaval, and are working our way through a pandemic. None of these things kept us from celebrating God in community, and doing work for the community of Red Bud. We have grown and adapted in many ways. I couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of this congregation.

Many years ago, a Philadelphia congregation watched as three 9-year-old boys were baptized and joined the church. Not long after, because of dwindling membership, the church sold the building and disbanded.

One of those three boys was Tony Campolo, who became an author and Christian sociologist professor at Eastern College in Pennsylvania, as well as someone whom I read and quote in my sermons often. Listen to this short story as he tells it:

“Years later when I was doing research in the archives of our denominations, I decided to look up the church report for the year of my baptism. There was my name, and Dick White’s. He’s now a missionary. Bert Newman, now a professor of theology at an African seminary, was also there. Then I read that church’s report for the year of our baptism. It read: ‘It has not been a good year for our church. We have lost 27 members. Three joined, and they were only children.'”

Now, not everyone who is baptized grows up to be a Tony Campolo or a Seminary professor like Bert Newman. And while we might not go on the mission field like Dick White, we all become missionaries through the water of our baptism because, that water is the water of life. It changes everything. It cleans us up and gives us a starting over point. And it reminds us just how much we are loved. And all we’re asked to do is drink deep from the water of life.

Year B is the year of Mark. Mark starts his gospel, “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” I like that. It tells me every Baptism is a beginning. Every Christian has a new chance to tell the story of the beginning of the Gospel.

This is also a year to start again. May 2021 give us a new opportunity, in new ways, to share God’s Word.

Pastor Cory

At the beginning of a New Year, a high school principal decided to post his teachers’ New Year’s resolutions on the bulletin board. As the teachers gathered around the bulletin board, a great commotion started. One of the teachers was complaining. “Why weren’t my resolutions posted?” She was throwing such a temper tantrum that the principal hurried to his office to see if he had
overlooked her resolutions. Sure enough, he had mislaid them on his desk. As he read her resolutions he was astounded. This teacher’s first resolution was not to let little things upset her in the New Year.

I don’t know how you are doing on your New Year’s resolutions. I do know something that is more important than resolutions, though. How do you see this New Year? Is it one that you approach with anxiety or anticipation? We can take our cues from scripture.

Here’s a list of Christian Resolutions for the New Year:

Like Paul, forget those things which are behind and press forward.

Like David, lift up my eyes to the hills from which my help comes.

Like Abraham, trust my God implicitly.

Like Enoch, walk in daily fellowship with my heavenly Father.

Like Moses, suffer rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time.

Like Job, be patient and faithful in all circumstances.

Like Joseph, turn my back on all evil advances.

Like Gideon, advance even when my friends are few.

Like Andrew, strive to lead my brother to Christ.

Not a bad list, wouldn’t you say? We have suffered much in 2020. With God’s help may we face 2021 with love, compassion, courage and anticipation.

Blessings, Pastor Cory

Dear friends, as we enter into the Season of Advent, preparing for the coming of the Christ-child, can we resist the temptation to cram as many activities, parties, shopping, etc…while leaving little time for God.
Our excuse is always (not just during Advent) I just don’t have the time.

The New Testament uses two different words for time. God operates in kairos, a Greek word which means the “fullness of time.” We operate in chronos, the Greek word which means the passage of minutes, days, years, centuries, and even millenniums.

For example: Mary did not give birth to Jesus on December 25 at 12:06 a.m. (chronos) as we are prone to say in our society when a baby is born. Rather, the Bible says it happened when (kairos) “the time came for her to be delivered” (i.e., the “fullness of time” for her pregnancy).

The opening words of John’s Gospel couldn’t be more appropriate for the first Sunday of a new year. If our New Year celebrations are about finding meaning in the passage of time, John starts his Gospel by taking us back to the beginning of time.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

I found a version of the 23rd Psalm that ought to be mandatory reading each day of Advent, and a unison reading each Advent Sunday.

The Lord is my pace setter . . .I shall not rush

He makes me stop for quiet intervals

He provides me with images of stillness which restore my serenity

He leads me in the way of efficiency through calmness of mind and his guidance is peace

Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret, for his presence is here

His timelessness, his all importance will keep me in balance

He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity by anointing my mind with his oils of tranquility

My cup of joyous energy overflows

Truly harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours for I shall walk in the Pace of my Lord and dwell in his house for ever.

I was often reminded by a Pastor/Mentor/Friend of mine that time isn’t something we “have” or “don’t have,” rather it is something we take. It all depends on our priorities. This Advent season, as we prepare ourselves for Jesus’ miraculous birth, simply give others a bit of yourself; a thoughtful act, a helpful idea, a word of appreciation, a lift over a rough spot, a sense of understanding, a timely suggestion. We all have time for that. Take something out of your mind, garnished in kindness out of your heart, and put it
into the other fellow’s mind and heart. Take time to share God’s love.

Pastor Cory